Live from hot Jax: Only 30 (of 32) writers pick the Gators!
This is not as it seems. The sweater is orange. It is, of all things, a Gator dog. (Photo by M. Bradley)
Jacksonville — It was raining when I boarded the plane at Hartsfield-Jackson at 7:45 a.m. It is not raining here, unless you count sweat beads. Here it’s hot. Here it’s hot even by Florida standards. And, speaking of sweat …
Your genius correspondent managed to leave his glasses in Tim Tucker’s rental car at the stadium, necessitating another walk to/from distant Lot P. This marks the second time in 13 months I’ve left my glasses in a rental car, and the first was in Tempe, Ariz., where it was only 97 degrees and we were parked even farther away.
But enough about this perspiring writer. Let’s talk about other writers. The Florida Times-Union asked 32 writers, some of whom might actually have seen Georgia play in the past five years, for a prediction. (None of the 32 were from the AJC, you should know.) Thirty picked the Gators. The two exceptions: Matt Hayes of Sporting News and Scott Michaux of the Augusta Chronicle.
By tradition the Georgia-Florida crowd is split down the middle, but there seem many, many more Gators here this time. Perhaps Georgia fans are keeping a lower profile. Perhaps they sold their ducats. Perhaps they’re using the proceeds from that windfall to buy out Willie Martinez.
And I have to tell you, it has been a long time since I arrived at a stadium (with or without glasses) feeling as I do. I don’t see a way Georgia can win. I suppose Florida could fumble 10 times, but I can’t really see Florida doing that. And I can’t see the team with the better offense and better defense not winning.
But I have, as we know, been wrong before. I covered the Super Bowl between the Rams and the Patriots, in which St. Louis entered with the better offense and defense. I picked the Patriots to lose 42-3. They won 20-17. So I guess stranger things have happened. But not many, I submit.
With that, the floor is open for your comments and observations and contributions to the Free Willie Fund. I’ll be here all day, unless I feel the need to walk back across the parking lot and sweat through my shirt again.
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3,111 comments Add your comment
Give UGA to Vick
October 31st, 2009
7:00 pm
Love those Grambling helmets! Hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!
browndog
October 31st, 2009
7:00 pm
6 and 6 at best.
Gainesville's Gators
October 31st, 2009
7:00 pm
Another year of bragging rights, yesssssss. 41-17
Pit bull
October 31st, 2009
7:00 pm
We just make make the tackles! WM
no x's and o's comment
October 31st, 2009
7:00 pm
if any decisions are made after this game, first one needs to be to NOT wear the black uniforms or helmets again, bad Karma, need to strive for bowl game and not be worried about the rest at this point
fcmr
October 31st, 2009
7:01 pm
White and Gold, What did you put on your rings last year for beating UGA one time in the last eight years. Geek squad is hiring again. Your friggin nerd. Don’t talk UGA UF causde you used to be in the SEC and couldn’t hack it. Talk UGA GT.
Mr GT
October 31st, 2009
7:01 pm
Just wait til you come to the Flats. Another beatdown coming. ABC!!
JR
October 31st, 2009
7:01 pm
Will not watch UGA the rest of the year! Puts too much stress on my heart! Love the Dawgs and the players. Hate the coaches and the administration. Neither have a clue. Sad. So so sad to see a proud program go down hill. Really wish KM and MS hadn’t ABANDONDED US for money!
icedawg
October 31st, 2009
7:01 pm
The Quack Attack game could be a real good one.
icedawg
October 31st, 2009
7:01 pm
signing off from 8 hours north of the US border
CJ Dawg
October 31st, 2009
7:01 pm
Joshua–This past week, Willie and another coach were dispatched to a recruit’s home to ensure the recruit that Willie WILL be back next week. I got chills…..
White & Gold Forever
October 31st, 2009
7:01 pm
Ok….one more time.
GREAT call on the helmets!!!! See ESPN – that nation is laughing at you
Georgia football – IRRELEVANT AS EVER
GOOOOOOOO JACKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!
The helmets……ha ha ha ah ah ha ha
Eddie Robinson
October 31st, 2009
7:01 pm
Man. Grambling REALLY sucked today.
41 38 49 38 45 24 37 41 17 20 45 41
October 31st, 2009
7:01 pm
Boy its adding up dawg fans!!!!!!!!! BLIND BLIND HOMERS!!!!!!!!
Pit bull
October 31st, 2009
7:01 pm
Gt is going to beat the Dawgs bad to, get use to it,
darrell starks
October 31st, 2009
7:02 pm
FIRE MARK RICHT PERIOD.
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!
tyler
October 31st, 2009
7:02 pm
AU will to lose to UGA. Surprised that they beat OM but they aren’t that good apparently. I know that UGA isn’t really good either but they should beat Auburn.
Dawgs1965
October 31st, 2009
7:02 pm
Sad day for Georgia. I’m embarrassed for our team. I’m embarrassed at how silly we’re going to look on all the highlights wearing these clown uniforms. I truly hope the coaching staff is ashamed. They ought to be. I’m done with Richt. His era is over.
fcmr
October 31st, 2009
7:02 pm
Hey white and gold what does your stadium seat 58000 and how many season tickets have you still got for sale? Give me a break.
Joe
October 31st, 2009
7:02 pm
So how did Joe get to bt the UGA qb? Did his parents buy a building or something. Just sad.
Sonny Clusters
October 31st, 2009
7:02 pm
Well, those was some nice helmets.
Barry Jay
October 31st, 2009
7:02 pm
I wish this year had been different. I do know this: Richt is going to have to shake things up next year. He needs to get a few Army Rangers and Navy Seals in there to run their camp. This team needs discipline and toughness.
Nilo Silvan
October 31st, 2009
7:02 pm
Something needs to be done about Brandon Spikes from when he tried to gouge out Ealey’s eyes. He definitely needs to be suspended. That was ridiculous. Happened on Ealey’s run before Moore’s TD catch.
Pit bull
October 31st, 2009
7:02 pm
If we are lucky we can make a bowl and tear up Hawaii ass! WM
Joe "Sucks" Cox
October 31st, 2009
7:03 pm
8 years of the best recruiting in America at its best.
Cedrick (Arlington, TX)
October 31st, 2009
7:03 pm
I wish I could be at the post game radio show to ask CMR some questions, cause I have a lot of this to get off my chest about this team & his coaching.
Macon Dog in Middle East
October 31st, 2009
7:03 pm
Hey Icedawg: Check Dooley’s 1975 and 1976 champs.
georgia tech breakin neckz
October 31st, 2009
7:03 pm
fire mark richt
icedawg
October 31st, 2009
7:03 pm
Maybe next year the school can pitch in and promise rings to the players if we beat UF.
NCAA
October 31st, 2009
7:03 pm
3 years, 4 years, doesn’t matter- what Tebow has done is still special. Where all all the other QB’s near that record? They both are and were great players
GBO
October 31st, 2009
7:03 pm
Charlie Strong should have been a HC a long time ago. No way he will take another college coordinator position. Don’t even think about him following Slick Willie.
Gerry
October 31st, 2009
7:03 pm
2775 comments. Wow.
45ACP
October 31st, 2009
7:03 pm
We put 17 points on the best defense in the land with a bunch of turnovers.
If it didn’t rain we would not have rain bows.
Don’t live your life vicariously through a college football team.
Hey, it’s better than crying about something you have no control over.
TNJeff
October 31st, 2009
7:03 pm
the offense or rather the Qbs didn’t help but still I think I saw 2 textbook tackles all game by UGA. How afraid were our Linebackers to hit Tebow. Only hit him when being held up and defenseless.
Forget playing in black – we know we’re dead. Let’s get a push for us to play in PINK – that fits our style best.
PHIL
October 31st, 2009
7:03 pm
The players are terrible. Vince Lombardi couldn’t do anything with this bunch. Fire those who thought they had talent. Maybe some have talent, but few of the one on our side have any brains. The rules of football haven’t changed since they began to play at 8 years old. Can ‘t blame the coaches because they can’t follow the rules or bite on fakes or make stupid decisions on the field during play. Can’t blame the coaches for bone head players driving without a license. We have some good players but other teams have better players, plain and simple. I say fire the coaches who evaluated them . And yes, nice helmets. I guess that move will be 86ed for the future.
And I hope now everyone sees why we don’t play Logan Gray more. Another bone head play form our players. The coaches didn’t cause that.
Super Dog
October 31st, 2009
7:03 pm
GA FANS
WILLIE MARTINEZ ALLOWED TEBOW TO BREAK WALKERS RECORD AGAINST US
AND ALLOWED MORE THAN HIS 30 PPG
I HOPE EVERYONE WILL JOIN ME IN HELPING HIM MOVE HIS FURNITURE OUT OF TOWN
HE IS AN EMBARRASSMENT TO GA FOOTBALL
georgia tech breakin neckz
October 31st, 2009
7:04 pm
hot seat
Simply the Truth
October 31st, 2009
7:04 pm
WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR…. CMR
Joe "Sucks" Cox
October 31st, 2009
7:04 pm
They could call it a building year, but what are they building on?
CMR needs to go
October 31st, 2009
7:04 pm
Well Monty, those Tebow TDs are 51 more than you rushed for. Do you have the stats on what the average yards per TD run that Herschel had?? I thought not!
Pit bull
October 31st, 2009
7:04 pm
This team needs someone like Van gorder to make it mean and intsill displine and know how!
White & Gold Forever
October 31st, 2009
7:04 pm
@fcmr
Cry much? HA HA HA HA
But nice helmets!
What’s the difference between a Tech grad and the average Georgia fan? Neither went to “U’ GA.
fcmr
October 31st, 2009
7:04 pm
White and Gold,
Amazing comments! Did you actually graduate from Tech or are you just some transplanted yankee who carpetbagged to ATL?
Sonny Clusters
October 31st, 2009
7:04 pm
Mark is writing the game story about now. Should have a few quotes from Cox and Bobo. Sounds like a circus act.
Joe
October 31st, 2009
7:04 pm
Fcmr. U r already a loser try not to be a sore loser.
odawg
October 31st, 2009
7:05 pm
It just seems like we’re a bunch of losers out there. How do we let this happen? We obviously spent the week off concentrating on what uniforms we should wear. It’s just pathetic. Are we ever going to be good again?
White & Gold Forever
October 31st, 2009
7:05 pm
@fcmr -
Got my Tech degree, my big salary, and an awesome team.
You guys have hilarious helmets
Not Disappointed!
October 31st, 2009
7:05 pm
Hang in the pups…
Cuz
October 31st, 2009
7:05 pm
7 more points than last year and 8 less for Florida. In two years we will play in overtime.
Pit bull
October 31st, 2009
7:05 pm
I want to hear Richt defend Willie M. We have given up over 100 pts so this yr!